Stardust
by Shampoo
Summary: James hits his head on a branch and finds himself in paradise, only to discover everything had been a mistake and he has to go back to Earth. During the time everything is fixed up down below, he gets escorted around heaven by an angel and learns things a
1. c.h.a.p.t.e.r I

S.t.a.r.d.u.s.t.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the stuff I made up. Like anybody reads these things anyway.  
  
Summary: James hits his head on a tree branch and finds himself in paradise, only to discover everything had been a mistake and he has to go back to Earth. During the time everything is fixed up down below, he gets escorted around heaven by an angel and learns things about life and himself.  
  
Author's Notes: This story has been in my head for a while now, and at first I was going to write the whole thing before posting it up, but one page turned into five pages, and five pages turned into 10 pages, and I realized that I had to chapter this sucker before it got any more out of control. It's a strange concept, so please bear with me, and I would be very happy to hear any and every comment anyone might have. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
~  
  
  
  
It happened the same way that day as any other. Team Rocket wanted to capture pikachu, Ash blasted them with the aforementioned rodent, and they went soaring past the clouds yelling the all too familiar, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"  
  
*  
  
James watched the trees rush past underneath him as he flew through the air. It was an almost guarantee that their landing was not going to be soft. Meowth was holding onto Jessie's leg, and Jessie was holding onto her hair. Flights like these always seemed to ruin her immaculate style, and she didn't want to go through the trouble of using all that hairspray again.  
  
Soon they were heading downwards, and James was relieved to see a small clearing, filled with tall grass, which would make their fall at least a little less painful. Maybe their luck was changing after all, he thought. However, that statement did not turn out to be true, as those were his last thoughts before a tree branch came up to meet him very suddenly.  
  
*  
  
~  
  
*  
  
To say the least, James did not feel quite himself when he opened his eyes. For one, he felt quite a bit. lighter.  
  
All that dieting finally paid off! He thought happily, wishing he had the money to go clothes shopping. But Jessie had sealed him off from all the accounts, since he had the unfortunate tendency to drain the money on sudden whims (i.e., Magikarp and tanks). After a few minutes, it finally registered that he was in no forest. He sat bolt upright as he took in his new surroundings.  
  
To the left, right, bottom, and top of him were stars. They were scattered everywhere, twinkling and sparkling with a silvery light. Some were in clusters while others were spaced out, and some were so close it made them look like a celestial river of light had splashed across heaven.  
  
James stared for quite a while, forgetting the predicament he was in, before he had the good sense to look down and see exactly what it was he was sitting on. It looked like a large slab of clear glass suspended in midair, until it hit him that it could be connected to something. He turned around.  
  
The glass was actually a path, leading to the greatest structure he had ever seen. It was more like an arch, with great gates connected and flung wide open. They looked like they had been constructed of pure gold. The designs were intricate, complex, and beautiful. Every bit of it was glowing with a strange, ethereal aura. James took a step forward.  
  
"Stop!" cried a voice, and the sound of frantic footsteps could be heard running down the path, although there was not a soul to be seen. James was acutely aware of someone watching him, but their presence was not seen until a small ball of light materialized in front of him. Gradually it expanded and stretched, until it had taken a human form, and then it solidified into a woman.  
  
She was slight and dainty, wearing all white. Her hair was the very last and darkest shade of black, but it shone like obsidian all the way down her back, and her eyes were piercing and gold. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked. Her voice was deep and intimidating, a stark contrast to the rest of her.  
  
"Uhh." said James intelligently, but then again, how can one know where they are going if they don't know where they are? But by now James was quite positive he was dreaming, and this knowledge gave him confidence. "To those gates," he replied.  
  
"Do you think you can just go without an escort? Who knows what kind of trouble you people could cause. I've had so many problems, and you won't be the last, but if I can help it." she was now talking to herself, but that didn't pose to be too much of a problem, since James had stopped listening. He strolled idly up to the golden structures, plotting devious ways to steal them.  
  
"Hey!" she snapped, and James turned back to her. "Come here! You have to have an escort."  
  
"Why?" He had never been this aware of his dreams before. This was truly interesting to him. Or, perhaps he was always this aware but forgot as soon as he heard Jessie screaming at him to wake up. Maybe he always saw this girl.  
  
"Because you are a mortal, and mortals are incompetent," she replied knowingly. "I bet you haven't even lived half a century."  
  
"Well, duh!" James said angrily. "Do I look like a fifty year old to you? Do you see any wrinkles?"  
  
She just stared at him, and he shrieked. "You see wrinkles? Where? Where? You've got to tell me!"  
  
She sighed and wondered why she ever took this job. "I don't see any wrinkles," she relented, and watched as James stopped and sighed, immensely relieved. "Now follow me."  
  
He pranced right up next to her. "Where are we going? What is this place? What am I doing here? Why did I come here?"  
  
She cleared her throat and faced him. "If you must know."  
  
"I must!" he interrupted, and her annoyance with him exploded out of control.  
  
"Well, I'm not telling!" She said as she grabbed his collar forcefully and began to drag him towards the gates, huffing indignantly the entire way.  
  
*  
  
~  
  
*  
  
Upon crossing through the gates, James saw for the first time what must have been waiting for all good people once they die. To say the least, it was a gigantic, glowing, and humbling place, suspended between moons and stars and nebulae, with endless sparking waterfalls flowing down on all sides. The main area was a breathtaking collision of hills, dales and prairies, with mountains, forests, and valleys, and oceans and seas, lakes and rivers, and too many other naturally beautiful places to name. Some parts were rained upon while mists rose delicately from the ground; others were subject to an eternity of robust sunshine, while still others were caught in a blizzard to last all time. Parts were cast in a half dawn light, others in dwindling sunlight, and others in the dark of night.  
  
James had never seen, or would never see, anything half so astonishingly beautiful. He just stood and gaped, and before he knew it, his legs were moving on their own accord towards the paradise. As soon as he saw it, all his mind was filled with was the desire to go there and rest. To be worry and sorrow free, forever. He knew that as soon as he stepped onto its threshold, he could take it easy, and never have to worry about little brats with pikachus or his boss or anything ever again.  
  
"Oh no you don't," said a deep feminine voice, and he was jolted out of his reverie by a forceful backward tug. "Don't you think I've had this problem before? Yes I certainly have. I regret to inform you that you will not be going over there."  
  
James turned and looked back at the woman- well, now that he got a better look, more like girl. She looked to be somewhere around his age, but shorter. He frowned, irritable at not being able to go to the paradise before him.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked, and then, more to himself, "And when will this dream end?"  
  
"Are you willing to listen to an explanation without interrupting me?" she replied. "I'll only tell you if you keep your mouth shut and listen, because I don't want to repeat myself here."  
  
"Fine." James folded his arms and looked at down her as she cleared her throat. She flicked some of her dark hair over one shoulder and smoothed out her white robes.  
  
"You really like to prepare yourself, don't you?" he commented. She stopped and glared up at him.  
  
"For your information, when I am explaining something to a mortal fool such as yourself, I like to be sure there isn't anything on my person that would detract attention from what I am saying- which happens to be of great importance, and woe to you if you miss any of it. Believe me I have had problems- some people just can't get things straight even when I explain it to them twenty times. If fact there was one idiot that." her monologue was cut short by an exaggerated yawn coming from James. She gave him a nasty look before beginning once again.  
  
"Anyway, the subject I was about to come to if I hadn't been so rudely interrupted, is this: people who come to this place are dead." Her voice was drowned out by a loud gasp from James.  
  
"That's not true! It can't be! I'm too young and innocent to die! I've got things to do, places to see! I didn't get to tell any of my friends goodbye." he rambled like so for a good minute or so before it was his turn to be cut off.  
  
"Excuse me! Didn't I tell you not to interrupt? I was about to say, in most natural cases."  
  
"And I'm not a natural case?" asked James, calming down in a remarkable amount of time. Slowly, his earlier dream theory was dissolving in his mind, and he believed every word this woman said.  
  
"No, as a matter of fact, you are not. Before you came here, you hit your head on a tree branch, is that correct?"  
  
"I remember that! But..." He reached up and touched his head. "Why doesn't it hurt? I've run into trees before, and I never came out without a scratch like this."  
  
"Because the form you are in right now is not your body. It's more like a manifestation of your consciousness."  
  
"What?"  
  
She sighed and shook her head. "I don't know how I ever got into this," she muttered, and then looked back up at James. "Listen, let me put it this way- when you are dreaming, the you in the dream is not necessarily the you that is flesh and blood."  
  
"Yes it is. unless I'm dreaming that I'm someone else. One time I dreamed that I was."  
  
"I don't care!" she yelled. "You aren't getting what I am trying to say. then again, that's what I should have expected. Listen to me, when you are dreaming, you can think and talk, but it is all in your mind."  
  
"Right."  
  
"That is your conscious. right now I am talking to James, but not his body." She stared at him expectantly, hoping he would understand.  
  
James looked at her dumbly, before snapping his fingers. "Alright! I get it- when I am dreaming, it is me, because I can act and make decisions, but that is just part of what my mind is doing to create the dream. When I wake up, it is still my mind that I think with, but I use my body, instead of the body I have in my dreams. Is that right?"  
  
Struck dumb by the ray of intelligence that had just broken through this otherwise dimwitted person, she could only nod.  
  
He smiled happily like a kid whose teacher just gave him a gold star for good behavior. "So then that is the conscious that you are talking about. I can think and talk, but it's not my body, just. me." He looked down at himself. "But why do I look the same?"  
  
She shrugged. "It's you, just not in body. You might as well look the same."  
  
"So then what I am doing here?"  
  
"Oh yeah! As I was explaining before, your body is still down on Earth where you came from. And, as I also said, you are an unnatural case, coming here without being dead. So that puts you in a position between life and death. Your body is alive, but you aren't in it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I was getting to that!" She sighed and smoothed over her robes once more. James began to see more and more of these little habits- from combing her hair with her fingers to smoothing out wrinkles in her clothing to just staring down at her hand, as if looking for imperfections. "Anyway," she continued, "Several coincidences piled up and warped the course of events. At some point, history was thrown off course." She paused and waited for his inevitable questioning.  
  
"Coincidences? History?"  
  
She grew serious. "These coincidences are things that were never meant to happen. Tiny things, but things nonetheless. They all came together and created one big unnatural event. For example, a butterfree could land on a branch that it was never mean to land on. When it flies away, the branch could break and fall before it was never meant to. It could fall on a place in which a sapling is growing, and crush it. That sapling could have grown to be a huge tree. All the pokemon who would have lived in that tree would have to find other homes. Maybe one of the pokemon would take its' family to the nearest city. And that family would grow and grow until that city had a problem. Then..."  
  
"It's a pretty bad example, but I understand. Little things can add up to big things, is what you are saying."  
  
"I'm thinking from the top of my head here!" she shouted. "But it's good you understand. Now, here is where you come in. Some of these coincidences come together and resulted in you dying before you were meant to."  
  
"So that means I am dead, you liar!" He went back into hysterics, crying and sobbing about the unfairness of it all.  
  
"I'm not lying! You are not dead. This is just a temporary development until everything down on earth is fixed up."  
  
"Fixed up?" asked James. This was getting weirder and weirder for him, and he didn't know how much more he could take before he wrote himself off as insane.  
  
"Yes, would you let me talk? They are going to have your body as good as new before I send you back down. I don't know how long that will take, so I might be stuck with you for a while."  
  
"So when I hit my head on that branch, I should have been dead. But I wasn't meant to die there, so my conscious was sent here while my body gets repaired back down there."  
  
"That is correct, I'm glad I wasn't wasting my time on you. Then again I would be quite angry if you were actually meant to die tomorrow." James gulped and became uncomfortable.  
  
"But I'm not meant to die tomorrow, right?" he asked weakly.  
  
"Let's have a look!" she said almost happily. At a wave of her hand, a huge book fell out from the stars and landed right in front of her. "This is the great Book of Fate. It lists the named of everyone who is presently living, and the date and time in which they will die."  
  
"Let me see!" cried James.  
  
"Here, have a look. Oh! What am I thinking?" she said as snatched the book away from him. "I can't just tell people what their fates are! The results would be calamitous! I can't believe I actually almost gave that to you."  
  
"But why can't I just have a look?"  
  
"Because, fool, what if I let you see this, and it says you are fated to die in an elevator two weeks from now. Would you get near any elevators two weeks later?"  
  
"I don't want to die in an elevator."  
  
"I think you've missed my point here."  
  
"No, I see what you're saying. If people could see their fates, they would try to avoid them, and that would cause an unnatural prolonging of life."  
  
She nodded her head approvingly. "You know," she said finally, "I think you are smarter than you look."  
  
"Thanks. I think. But there is one last thing you haven't cleared up. Where do you come into all of this?"  
  
"It's quite simple, really," she said. "I'm your escort through heaven. We immortals don't trust you mortals enough to let you wander around paradise. People who aren't dead are not meant to understand what it is like. That's why every person who is unfortunate enough to be a victim to the coincidence fiasco must have a guide so they don't see things they are not meant to see. But."  
  
All at once her face grew sadder and more drawn. James took a step forward. She sighed. "But it's not often that something like this happens. Maybe once or twice in a decade. Most of the time it isn't even things I can talk to."  
  
"But can't you talk to other people in charge around here?" he asked.  
  
"No, some of us are lucky and get a job like a guardian angel, where you can talk to other guardian angels down on Earth. But I was stationed to be an escort to people like you, and it is such a rare occurrence that only one of us is needed. And that one is me. So I'm all alone here."  
  
"But you always talk about how mad you get at the people who wander off and don't listen to you."  
  
"I've been around here for a long time. I've met quite a few people, but the time is so far in between, I still have no one to talk to."  
  
"So that's why you talk so much and worry about your appearance."  
  
She glared at him angrily. "I don't know why on Earth I am telling you any of this. Like it matters to you. Come on, I might as well show you around." She began walking towards the paradise, and James noticed there were several other structures off to the side, all as magnificent as the gates. The glass path ran in a ring all the way around paradise, and every one of these places was stationed on this.  
  
He walked slowly and stared at her from behind. She certainly had a lot of personality. She had a confident way of walking, but her strides were short. In fact all of her was short; he doubted if she would reach more than a little over five feet. But he was warming up to her, he could now see why she was such a perfectionist, and so long winded. "Come on!" she called as she turned back to him and held out a hand. "I don't know how much time we have, so let me show you around." He took her hand, it was cool and silvery as her slim fingers curled around his.  
  
~  
  
*  
  
~  
  
They came to the first building still hand in hand. James liked the idea of having a friend that lived in heaven; maybe she could help him out and get him a better opinion among others up here. But it seemed like she never got to opportunity to talk to other people unless they were like him. He knew she was talking, but the words came so fast and passionately it was easy to see she was speaking more to herself. He was only half listening, nodding or saying "hm" every time she paused. This amount to attention was enough for her, and she kept on rambling, as James gazed at his surroundings.  
  
Finally she came to a halt in front of a huge palace. Its' spires and towers were all made of a shining crystal, and he could see every star reflected by its' surface. If this had been anywhere else, he would have sworn it was special effects from a movie. James had a very hard time taking it in as a real place.  
  
"Do you like it?" she asked in a proud voice. "I remember when this place was built. Of course this was way before you existed. In fact it was way before humans in general existed, too."  
  
"What is it?" he murmured, eyes still fixed on it.  
  
"Well, this palace is where the greater powers in charge up here reside. It's got thousands of rooms filled with books on everything that ever lived. That way they can decide who comes and goes. It may look small for such a huge amount of rooms, but it's a great deal bigger once you go in."  
  
"How is that?"  
  
"Beats me. I didn't make it. I've been in there, though, and it's a real hard time to get out. I must have gotten lost a million times. I am pretty sure it uses an enchantment to make everything smaller once they cross through the doors, and bigger when they walk out. But don't quote me on that one. Things go on in here that even I don't understand. Some people say they don't understand how fate works- well, you would know if you understood what goes on in there. The ones who live there are the ones who take innocent's lives, and cause catastrophes, as well as choose who will discover miracle cures and make heroes." She looked up at the castle. "I don't know how it works. I'll never know. I've never seen the ones who live there, or know anything about them. For all I know, they might not even exist. Fate could be just a big joke."  
  
"I believe in fate," said James absently.  
  
"So do I."  
  
Both were silent for a while, and James realized, startled, that he was still holding her hand. It was so small and light that he forgot it was even there. He let go of it and put his hands in his pockets, clearing his throat and glancing around. She looked embarrassed for a moment before walking ahead.  
  
"You know," she said, "No one sees these places. Once they die, they are instantly taken to the paradise. None of this sightseeing goes on."  
  
"Well, I'm special," James replied instantly without even pausing to think. She shook her head and sighed.  
  
"No, you aren't. I'm just bored. You should be thankful."  
  
James grew annoyed. "That's not true. You don't have anyone to talk to, and that's why. This is probably the highlight of your millennia." She looked hurt, and he stopped. Now that he thought about it, it probably really was the highlight of her millennia! He looked back at her, and saw that the earlier hurtful expression had dissolved into anger.  
  
"Alright, that's fine," she growled in her threatening voice, "I can just send you back. You just see how much I care."  
  
Being the stubborn person that he was, James said "I dare you." Immediately afterwards he felt bad, however, but he couldn't take it back. He wanted to apologize; he knew if he was in her position he wouldn't want to fight during the only time he had contact with someone to talk to. But that was too late now. She raised her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, he was gone.  
  
~  
  
*  
  
~  
  
For a moment all he saw was black, but eventually his vision came back to him. He was in the place which he last remembered hitting his head, in fact he was sitting on the branch. Voices from below caught his attention and he looked down.  
  
It was him! Jessie and Meowth were kneeling by and shaking his body, which wasn't responding. He heard snatches of their conversation, pleas for him to open his eyes.  
  
"Please, James. wake up. You have to be alright! We are in the middle of nowhere here. This is just like you! Picking the most inconvenient time!" It was Jessie alright. Then Meowth's voice rose over hers.  
  
"C'mon Jimmy. dis ain't funny any more! Get up."  
  
He smiled to himself, happy to see how much his friends cared. But he also didn't want to make them worry about him. He jumped down from the branch, not noticing that his impact did not cause the leaves to stir. He didn't even leave footprints in the semi muddy ground. But he was too busy making his way over to Jessie and Meowth to care about things like that. "Hey guys!" he called. "I'm over here!"  
  
His partners made no move to acknowledge his presence, and James called their names. Still they remained fixed on his other body.  
  
"Do you think he ever knew that I spent all his paycheck on catnip?" Meowth asked tearfully. James stopped. When did that happen?!  
  
"I don't know, Meowth," replied Jessie. "James, if you wake up, I'll never steal your hairspray again!"  
  
So that's where his cans of hairspray went!  
  
He came up to Jessie, fully intent on letting her know exactly how he felt about the theft of his hair products. James reached out to tap her shoulder, and let out a loud shriek when his hand passed right through her. He ran over to Meowth and tried it on him, with the same result.  
  
His friends didn't know he was here. They thought he was in that other body. What if they left him? How would he ever get back? The thought made his insides turn cold. That girl- the one in paradise- she would never let him come back now that he had made her mad. She had no concept of time- it could be years before she even thought about him again. He was doomed to wander Earth forever, without his handsome body. No one would ever admire his good looks again! Jessie and Meowth would think he was dead and forget him! He fell to his knees and tried to get his friends to notice him one last time. Still they didn't turn around. He closed his eyes and felt absolutely miserable.  
  
A voice cut through his thoughts. "Now, I hope you think twice before being so rude again." His eyes snapped open and he found himself back in heaven, surrounded by twinkling stars. The girl stepped into his line of vision. "You humans," she said disgustedly, and then turned back around.  
  
He jumped up. "I'm sorry!" he cried, even though the words sounded foreign (when they aren't directed at Jessie, that is). "Please forgive me! I'll never do that again!"  
  
She looked back at him and smiled. "Alright, I forgive you. Don't worry so much, I couldn't leave you without a body. They'd banish me to the edge of the universe for something like that."  
  
"So does that mean I was a ghost back there?" he asked.  
  
"Yup. Soul without a body, classic ghost form."  
  
He couldn't wait to tell Jessie and Meowth about this! "Does that mean ghosts are real?"  
  
"Sure are. Sometimes after someone dies, they have unfinished business, or they just plain didn't want to die then. And, in rare cases, the family members or friends refuse to let them go. It happens. So they manifest themselves in a form much like the one you are in right now."  
  
He tilted his head to one side. "But my friends couldn't see me. I always hear stuff about ghosts that people can see and get scared of."  
  
"That would not be a ghost- those are called shinentai- or, the will of the person who has left the Earth behind. Their souls go here, but their will was so strong, it says and manifests itself into an almost solid form."  
  
"That's scary. And confusing."  
  
"I'm sure you'll get it one day," she said, and smiled for a brief moment. "This is probably the longest one of my charges has ever been here.  
  
"Really? I must have hit my head pretty hard back there, then," he said, unconcerned. He wouldn't have minded staying for a while longer.  
  
"You don't mind? Most people are scared out their minds, you know. I don't know if you are a truly special person, or just too dimwitted to have a proper reaction to all this."  
  
"I'm a very special person."  
  
"I think you're conceited."  
  
He folded his arms. "I don't have any reason to be conceited. I think I'm great because I am!"  
  
She sighed. "Forget what I said."  
  
"Already did."  
  
"Figures!" she said, gold eyes flashing, and walked up ahead, night black hair swaying behind her. Against a backdrop of stars and moons, she looked even more radiant and ethereal, like a goddess. James felt himself blush for a second before catching up.  
  
~  
  
*  
  
~  
  
to be continued.  
  
Please review! 


	2. c.h.a.p.t.e.r II

S.t.a.r.d.u.s.t part II  
  
Disclaimer: (bows to mighty gods of licensed products) Nothing belongs to me in here except the stuff I make up. I'm not the over zealous disclaimer type, and I am too lazy to look and type all the names and companies this should go to, but I'm pretty sure they are too busy rolling in money to read my fanfiction. Oops, I think I'm beginning to sound bitter here. Better go on to the next section.  
  
Summary: It's on Chapter I. Go and look at it there.  
  
Author's Notes: First off, I would like to say thank you to all of my reviewers! I really appreciate it very much. Next, I want to say that if there are any grammatical errors in here, they are most likely due to the transfer from this file to fanfiction.net. I know that sounds strange, but when I uploaded the last chapter, all of my "…"'s turned into "."'s. It really bothered me because it made it look like I hadn't capitalized the next sentence after a period, which isn't true. And all of my tabbing was deleted. No indents here people. That goes for italics as well. None of this probably bothered anyone, but I am picky about my English. Mutter mutter. Last but not least, please review! I want to hear everyone's opinion! Alright, now I'll shut up and let you start the story. (  
  
*  
  
~  
  
*  
  
James was impressed, to say the least, of the many things he saw from the moment he met his escort up to the present. Most were contained in some kind of sprawling castle, rising up and touching the tip of the sky. After a while, however, he noticed her explaining and babbling came less and less heatedly, and she glanced at him very often, just to see if he was still there. Finally both sat down and dangled their legs over the transparent path, although it was much thicker than the length of them.  
  
"This is really strange," she said after a moment. "In all cases, you should have been gone a long time ago."  
  
James smiled. "I don't know, I kind of like it. I wouldn't mind taking a long weekend here or something."  
  
She sighed ruefully. "Too bad that will never happen. It's always been sad for me to see anyone go."  
  
"Why?" he asked. "I thought you hated people. In fact you told me I was a mortal fool."  
  
"I'm sure you are," she replied thoughtlessly. "It's just that sometimes I get talking to someone, the way I am now, and then they disappear."  
  
"So?"  
  
"Well, I'll never see them again. They'll write me off as a dream. Sometimes it happens so quick they are there one second and the next, poof! They're gone. I've had a lot of conversations end that way."  
  
"So, after this, I'm never coming back? Not even after I die? Can't you look for me in paradise?"  
  
"Don't be stupid," she snapped, "Of course I can't."  
  
"Why not?" he whined. "Not even for just a second?"  
  
She turned and looked at him, and after a while, a smiled broke out on her face. "Don't tell me you enjoy this. No one's ever enjoyed this before."  
  
"I don't know, it's kind of fun to take a break, right?"  
  
"I wouldn't know. I never take a break. I have to be here at all times."  
  
"Really?" he asked, eyes widening. "You've never been anywhere else in your entire life? Not even for a little while?"  
  
"Never. Not even for a minute."  
  
They were both quiet for a little while, and she brushed some imaginary dust from her robes. James couldn't think how terrible it must be to sit in the same place day after day, and never get up and move to a new setting. He looked sideways at her. She was fiddling with her hair.  
  
"Why?" he asked. "I mean, why can't you go anywhere? You said no one comes around here, so why don't you take a vacation or something?"  
  
She turned her body just enough so she could face him, and then said, "Think of it like this: what if you didn't have an escort when you came here? What you have done?"  
  
James looked up, thinking. "I would have gone to the paradise. As soon as I saw it, that's all I've wanted to do, but I know I can't. If I didn't know what was going to happen to me, I'd go."  
  
"Do you know what happens if someone goes to heaven before they are truly dead?" she asked, leaning closer.  
  
"Umm… no…" he said dumbly, startled by her closeness.  
  
"Of course you don't. How could you? I'll tell you what happens. If someone goes to heaven and their body is alive, they are in a limbo between life and death. In other words, their bodies just stay the way they were until the soul comes back, so it can leave naturally. They never age, but they never wake up either."  
  
"So that's what would have happened to me?"  
  
"Yes. And you just imagine the consequences of what would happen if a wandering soul without a body came across a body without a soul."  
  
"No way. That's never happened before."  
  
"You're right!" she said proudly. "It hasn't. Know why? Because I'm on the job!"  
  
"So that's why you have to stay. Wait a second…" he said, "If it's never happened before, how can you know?"  
  
"We have our ways of knowing." She looked so serious, he believed her without thinking.  
  
He sighed. "So what happens if you fall off this thing?" he asked absently, trying to make conversation. He wasn't expecting her reaction to the question, not in the least, but before he knew it, she'd pushed him right off the edge. He made a high pitched shriek, and shut his eyes tightly, thinking he was going to fall. After a few seconds, however, he cracked one eye open and looked around. He was floating a few inches from the path, and she was trying hard not to laugh.  
  
"You should have seen your face!" she cried. James folded his arms and scowled.  
  
"That was mean, you know," he said unhappily, but she was still giggling. Finally she reached out a pale hand and pulled him back next to her.  
  
"I've never done that before," she said quietly, after the novelty wore off.  
  
"Great, so I get to be your first victim," said James, still pouting. He had been really afraid back there.  
  
"Not that," she said, "I meant, I've never laughed like that before."  
  
He looked up, startled. "You've never laughed before?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"I've laughed before, but not that way. Not because someone made me laugh," she said. "And I've been around for a long time, too."  
  
"Come on," James countered, still disbelieving. "Someone's made you laugh. My friends make me laugh all the time! Well, sometimes I'm not laughing with them, more like at them, but I always regret that because Jessie has a bad temper and…" He trailed off as he noticed she was blushing. "What?" he asked.  
  
"I've never had a friend before," she said softly. "The longest someone ever stayed besides you is less than an hour, and they were too afraid of me to say anything."  
  
He looked down, not knowing what to say. If he didn't have his friends, he didn't know what he would do. After all, Jessie and Meowth were practically all he had. Even though sometimes they could be mean and thoughtless, without them, he wouldn't be the same person. He didn't think anyone should go through life without friends.  
  
"I'm your friend," he said to her. "Now you have a friend."  
  
She looked up. "You'll never see me again after this, James," she said. "It would be better for you if you didn't think of me as a friend. You can't be friends with someone if you never see or talk to them."  
  
"I can." He smiled at her. "After I'm gone, I'll think of you a lot, alright? I'll, um, think of you every time I eat, um, or every time Jessie hits me, so I'll really think of you often."  
  
She stared at him for a long time, and looked down, turning red. "Really, I wish you could come back to Earth with me, or something. I'd really like to see you again."  
  
In the uncomfortable silence that followed, she could almost hear her heart beat. This was certainly out of the ordinary, and she didn't know how to react. Finally she had an idea.  
  
"You don't know how much that meant to me," she said. "You really don't. I wasn't expecting someone like you to come along, ever. Now at least I know there people out there who are worthwhile." She paused. "Or maybe there aren't. You might be the only one." Another pause. "Lucky me for finding you, James."  
  
James was quiet, probably embarrassed. No one had ever called him worthwhile. Not even his parents. He was really starting to like her. But the more he liked her, the more afraid he was of disappearing, and of never seeing her again. The thought made him feel awful. It wasn't often that he made friends with anyone, and losing this one would be a personal catastrophe. He could see this friendship stick, maybe even become something more. He blushed for thinking about that. She noticed.  
  
"I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. I don't mean to. I just don't want you to go without knowing how I feel."  
  
He looked up. What was she saying?  
  
"You're special, you know, to me at least. If I could stay with you longer I would. But I can't, and nothing is going to change that."  
  
It wasn't everyday anyone called James special. In fact, he didn't think anyone had gone so far as to say things like that in his entire life. He really wished she could stay with him.  
  
"That's why I have to hurry and show you how much I appreciate what you've done. Please let me grant you one wish."  
  
"A wish?" James asked. "Can you do that?"  
  
"Yes," she said. "But there are a few-"  
  
"I've always wanted to be able to fly!" he said excitedly. "Grant that one. No! I want to be rich! Richer than my parents! Or let me become invisible when I want to! I'll rise to the top of Team Rocket!"  
  
"As I was about to say, there are a few limitations," she said impatiently, but without any of the initial anger she used to have when James would interrupt her. "What you wish for can't be taken back down with you to Earth in any form but your mind. I can tell you anything you wish to know."  
  
James's earlier hope deflated. This wasn't going to be so much fun after all. He thought and thought, but couldn't come up with anything that he wanted to know in particular or anything he could make money off of. In the end he just went for what everyone wants to know: their future.  
  
"I wish to see my future," he said.  
  
She fidgeted with her robes. "Is that what you want?" she asked. "Are you positive? You know if you see your future you-"  
  
"It's what I want," he said, cutting her off once more. She sighed.  
  
"If that is really and truly what you want, I'll grant that wish for you." She stepped back. "What you are about to see is a consolidation of every major event in the course of the rest of your life. Every bit of it is true and real. It shouldn't last more than ten minutes, but by the time it is over, you'll know exactly what to look forward to for the rest of your life."  
  
James stood still, waiting. After a few moments, everything began to blur together and twist until he recognized his surroundings as the clearing where all of this began.  
  
~  
  
*  
  
~  
  
Oddly enough, James noticed he was on the ground just like Jessie and Meowth. He looked over the detail. They complained, and left. That image faded, and James saw himself and his friends looking terrified in front of the boss, who was obviously ordering them to get out. He saw them get jobs. He watched himself, while comforting an obviously distressed Jessie, inadvertently kiss her. He saw his own wedding, and the lack of guests. He appraised the tiny house they would by. He saw his fights with Jessie occur before they ever started. He saw his own resentment grow. He watched himself get old, his good looks fade, and nothing but bitterness left behind. He saw Jessie struggle wildly to keep her own pretty face, and up secretly draining their already small bank accounts in the process. Meowth died. Jessie spoke less to him. The tension grew. He saw himself hate his life. At the very end, he watched an old man that bore only a tiny resemblance to himself leaf through a photo album, crying. He saw the man look up at the stars. Then it ended.  
  
She stepped up to him. "I wanted to tell you not to look at it. That's what I tried to say. But when I told you I would grant any wish, I was bound to my word. I didn't think you would ask for that one. I thought you might have wanted to know how the universe began, or something." James said nothing. "I'm sorry."  
  
Finally he spoke. "That's not my future," he said evenly, as if saying it with such finality would make it true.  
  
"I wish I could lie to you, James, I really do. But I can't. That is the future you would have even if you tried to change it. What I just showed you is what will come to pass." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I can make you forget, if you like."  
  
"I don't want to forget. I don't want it to happen." His eyes burned with tears. He felt like a fool, but he couldn't help it. He turned away as the crystalline pools overflowed down his cheeks. He heard a noise behind him, and turned. She was crying too.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I knew I shouldn't have. I didn't mean to. I didn't know it would be like this. I didn't want to do this to my only friend!"  
  
James wiped his eyes and took her hand. "It's not your fault. I asked for it." Before he even had time to finish the last word, he realized she was hugging him. It was an almost comical scene, given how much shorter than him she was, but it still made his eyes blur up with new tears. She only held him tighter.  
  
"I didn't mean it. I shouldn't have, I know, but I just wanted to give you something in return for what you've done for me. I hope you will understand." She drew back and looked into his eyes. "If you don't, that's fine. I would deserve it."  
  
He smiled weakly and said, "I understand. I swear I do. It's not your fault the future I'll have isn't the one I want. I'm sure it's that way with a lot of people. The only thing I'm going to regret is never seeing you again-" he stopped as her body in front of him became momentarily transparent. Her shoulders dropped and features saddened.  
  
"I saw it too," she murmured, "You're leaving now."  
  
James panicked. "No! I don't want to! Isn't there some way I can stay for just a little while longer? Can't I come back again?"  
  
"No," she said. "No, you'll never come back. This is goodbye. At least we get the chance to say it."  
  
He pulled her in close, although her form was becoming less and less solid in his arms. "I didn't want to say goodbye to you," he said.  
  
"Neither do I." Finally her hands slipped right through him, just as his had done when he approached Jessie as a ghost. "I never wanted to say goodbye to you. I would have given up my immortality just for one lifetime on Earth with-"  
  
"I know," said James. "Me too. I think I would have loved you if I would have met you on Earth."  
  
She looked ever sadder, and he corrected himself. "I love you here. If I had a chance, I wouldn't have let you go."  
  
Her grip on him was releasing, and everything was twisting out of existence. "I'll never forget you," she cried, but her voice sounded unreal and far off.  
  
A sudden thought seized him, and he yelled, "Wait! You never told me your name!"  
  
"It's Yume!" she called, and he had to struggle to hear her. Her last words were so faint he couldn't be sure if they were real or imagined. "I love you! Goodbye!"  
  
And then everything was gone.  
  
~  
  
*  
  
~ 


	3. c.h.a.p.t.e.r III

S.t.a.r.d.u.s.t part III  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except the stuff I make up. But you know if I could I would have stolen James a long time ago.  
  
Summary: It's on the first chapter; I'm too lazy to write it out.  
  
Author's Notes: First off I want to thank all my reviewers, especially AC_Ishida who has had nothing but encouraging things to say about the whole story (she's my beta reader). Thanks! And just to clarify things, "Yume" is a Japanese word meaning "dream." It's pronounced you-meh. Alright let's get this party started…  
  
~  
  
*  
  
~  
  
James knew where he was from the sound of leaves rustling above him. He opened one eye, and then the other. It was night time, and the stars were out. His head was crudely bandaged with what felt like part of either his or Jessie's uniform. Oddly enough, he felt no pain, even though he was sure it was a nasty scrape. Perhaps that was why he had been able to stay in heaven so long. The thought was painful to him. He wanted to go back, and see the stars up close just one more time.  
  
"So you finally woke up," came Jessie's voice, accompanied by the sound of her boots crunching up to him. "You've been out for a while now."  
  
"Oh," said James noncommittally.  
  
"So he got up, eh Jess?" Meowth bounded over and sat on James's chest. "What's da matta Jimmy boy? Ya don't look happy ta see us."  
  
"I am," replied James, with the same amount of apathy.  
  
Both regarded him quizzically for a moment- this was completely unlike James. Right now he should going into a speech full of melodrama and tears, about how scared he was and how happy they should be that he ever opened his eyes again. Finally they accepted his lack of words to be an after effect of his head injury, and left him alone; sure he would be fine in the morning.  
  
Long after both girl and cat were asleep, James was still staring up at the sky. He couldn't get over his stupidity for asking to see his own future. He no longer had any hopes or dreams, and above all, he no longer wanted to be here. After seeing what would become of them, James knew any thoughts of involving himself with Jessie were gone for good. He wouldn't wish that dead end future for anyone, especially his best friend. But Yume said it would come to pass. And so it would.  
  
Maybe he had been dreaming after all. He just couldn't convince himself of it. Somewhere, deep down in his heart, he would always know what happened had been real.  
  
~  
  
*  
  
~  
  
Over the next few days, James grew increasingly listless. He barely said a word to either of his partners, and just went through the day in a haze of unemotional fog. Jessie tried everything to snap him out of it, and Meowth tried to help from time to time, but always backed out when James would turn in the cat's direction. He didn't know why, but every time James's gaze settled on him, he felt chills.  
  
James especially hated seeing Meowth. He couldn't help it, he really did like the cat, but after James saw his future death, there was something unsettling about watching him walk around in the realm of the living. James could only be satisfied knowing he didn't know when or how Meowth would die, only that it would happen.  
  
A little while later Jessie became fed up with James's behavior. She had been humiliated in front of the twerps that day because her partner didn't care enough to say the motto right, or even participate in trying to capture pikachu. He just wandered over to a nearby rock, sat down, and watched.  
  
As soon as she got back to the camp, she exploded at him. "What was that all about, James?" she screamed. "You didn't even do anything! We might have actually won if it wasn't for you!"  
  
"Sorry Jess," James mumbled. Her eyes narrowed.  
  
"Exactly what's been going on with you lately?" she asked in a much more conversational tone. James knew for a fact she felt anything but conversational.  
  
"Nothing Jessie," he replied. He could almost feel her anger rise.  
  
"Is that right. You know when you hit your head back there I was really truly worried about you. Obviously I was wasting time."  
  
He looked up at her.  
  
"James, I don't appreciate the way you've been treating me, or even Meowth, lately. Why can't you tell us what's wrong?"  
  
He felt ridiculous. What was he supposed to say, 'I'm sorry Jessie, but I've fallen in love with someone in heaven and she showed me the future and I really don't like it. I have a right to be depressed'? Of course not, she would think he was insane. But what was he supposed to tell her? She was still staring at him expectantly.  
  
"I don't mean it, Jessie," he offered. "I'll try to be more like my usual self. I didn't realize I was acting different."  
  
She glared at him for a moment, as if trying to size up his words and determine if they were truly sincere of fake. Then she broke her intimidating eye contact, and thus signaled that the subject had been postponed until further notice. James sighed in relief.  
  
"There was something else I wanted to ask you," she said, and he felt himself seize up with fear again. She pulled out the pouch they kept their money in, which had been empty for quite some time, and pulled out a wad of cash. James's eyes widened. "I've been saving this," she continued. "I think we have enough for a few decent meals. Finally." She walked up and handed the money to him. "Since you decided not to do a thing today, I think it should be you who goes to the store. That's very fair."  
  
He nodded and rose from his sitting position. "Alright," he said, taking the money. A walk outside and some time alone might do him some good. "Is there anything in particular you want?"  
  
She shoved a gigantic list in his face. "I've circled the things I really want, boxed the things I sort of want, put a check by the things I kind of want, and put a star by the things I want just a little. Surprise me."  
  
He smiled for the first time in a long while. "OK Jessie. I'll be back later." With that, he turned and made his way towards town.  
  
~  
  
*  
  
~  
  
He soon found out why Jessie had been so willing for him to take the money and do this chore, because usually she never trusted him with a cent. The store turned out to be a good ways off, and he had been walking for a while. Evening began to take over the sky, and the sun dipped further and further beneath the hills. The wind grew cooler, and James's pace quickened. As he neared the town, he was happy to see it was still very well lighted and he wouldn't have a problem finding a store.  
  
As he passed the gates entering the small village, he noticed several men loitering outside and talking amongst themselves in very bitter tones. Not one to feel any remorse in eavesdropping, he heard all he could as he walked by them.  
  
"Did you see that girl by the fountain?"  
  
"I was afraid to even approach her."  
  
"I've never seen her before. She must be new here. I wish there were more girls like her around here."  
  
"I bet she's waiting for some lucky guy."  
  
James himself felt a little irritated; right now he didn't want to hear a thing about lucky guys. His footsteps slowed and he kept his head down as he walked. He wanted to avoid the girl and whoever she was waiting for.  
  
The sound of the fountain grew nearer, and James's mood grew worse. Here there would most likely be a happy reunion of a couple. They would hug and kiss and never let each other go. Then they would live happily ever after, without any cares or worries because their one true love would always be by their side.  
  
He was starting to feel childish, but he couldn't help it. He acted like something that was not in the fountain's line of sight was very interesting, and he stared in that direction until he was sure there would be no wistful lovers for him to see. Feeling victorious for no reason, he continued on his way and went into the store.  
  
Jessie's list was strange and the items were hard to find, and he gave up on it after a while in exchange for finding real food that he and Meowth could actually identify. After all, he reasoned, Jessie wasn't the center of the universe.  
  
He was afraid she might be angry with him for buying too little, but as it turned out he barely had enough cash to cover it all. It couldn't be said he was laden with groceries, but on the way past the fountain he acted as if he was looking into bags and making sure everything was there. He didn't even want to look at the vacant spot the girl would have left after she found her lover.  
  
On the way home, he felt quite triumphant over love, and Jessie and Meowth were happy to see him smiling and making stupid comments once again. As the night wore on both seemed to forget about James's earlier attitude and they acted like the team they had once been not long ago. But all this happiness screeched to a halt when Jessie realized James had bought the shampoo but not the conditioner.  
  
"What were you thinking!?" she shouted. "I remember very clearly that I circled the conditioner!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" James said, cowering before her might. "I'll go back in the morning and get it!"  
  
"The morning?!" she cried. "Do you think I can sleep knowing I only have shampoo? Go get it now!"  
  
"But Jessie," he reasoned, even though he knew there was no reasoning with her now. "Nothing's open at this time of night, I'd never be able to find it. I'll go first thing in the-"  
  
A fan stopped his sentence before it could ever finish it, and left a red mark right down the middle of his face. He could hear Meowth snickering. The cat had been pretending to be asleep to watch the whole scenario. Jessie wheeled around and faced him.  
  
"You lazy cat!" she said angrily. "You go with him! It'll do you some good to get out. You're getting flabby anyway."  
  
"What!" said Meowth. "Ya gotta be kiddin' me!"  
  
"I'm not," snarled Jessie. "Go and keep James company. And James, make sure he walks the whole way. Don't let him climb up on you. He needs some exercise," said Jessie.  
  
Meowth tried once more to get Jessie to change her mind, and ended up getting both himself and James physically kicked out of the clearing they were camping in and onto the dirt path that led to town. The cat climbed up onto James's shoulder immediately, possibly simply to spite Jessie by not following her orders. James didn't care. He rather liked walking out here, at least the scenery was nice, and having Meowth along wasn't so bad. After walking for some time, the town once again sprawled before him.  
  
"What's this town called, anyway, Meowth?" James asked.  
  
"I don't know," he replied, licking a paw. "All I know is they have food here! Meowth! And I'm starvin'! So, witout further ado, Jimbo, I tink I'm gonna do what Team Rocket does best to da nearest seafood restaurant!" The cat hopped off James's shoulder and onto the ground, landing on his feet of course, and dashed off.  
  
James looked down and muttered something in Meowth's general direction. Well, he hoped the cat knew that he wasn't going to be waiting up for him. He just wanted to buy Jessie's (and his, now that he thought about it, he had every right to use her conditioner if she stole his hairspray!) bottle of conditioner and get out of here. It was late and he was tired, and the stars that shone in the sky made him remember things he would prefer not to think about but never wanted to forget.  
  
Then again he wasn't exactly enjoying the thought of facing a new day which he couldn't look forward to. Nothing would happen tomorrow that he didn't already know about. Nothing would happen that he didn't already know about for the rest of his life. All the days that he didn't see when he saw his future would be ones which would fade from his memory after a short time.  
  
He glanced up at the sky and wondered what Yume was doing right now. Probably fixing her robes and sitting all alone on that glass path, waiting for another chance to talk to someone. The thought made him even more depressed and he trudged on, forgetting he was coming up to the fountain.  
  
When he did look up, he saw that the space in which the girl had been sitting was empty. He wandered over and sat down, too emotionally drained to care that his space he was seated was probably also the sight of a tearful and happy lover's rendezvous.  
  
The fountain was still spraying sparkling water and lit up even at this time of night. He put his head in his hands and immersed himself in self pity, completely losing track of the time. After a while he attempted to get up, but stayed down when his fingers brushed something dry, still, and wrinkled. He looked over and saw that it was a note, probably written by the girl. But why would she leave a note? He concluded that there was a good chance she was stood up. James actually felt bad for her.  
  
Being in Team Rocket, other people's privacy meant less than nothing to James. He picked up the note and looked it over. The handwriting was thin and spidery, but very feminine. On impulse he glanced down at the name on the bottom.  
  
Yume.  
  
A huge smile graced his features from ear to ear. What was she doing here? Did she really come and look for him? Where was she now? His hands shook as he read her letter.  
  
Dear James,  
  
After you left, my loneliness was too much to bear. I suppose after finding out what it's like to have a friend, one can never go back to being content with a life devoid of contact from others. That's how it was for me anyway. I broke the rules, James, and came down here looking for you. I know it was silly of me but I had to. I knew that you were going to come to this town, because you were fated to do so. I don't know why. So, I came here and sat at this fountain so I could look for you. I thought you would find me. But you never did. Well, now I don't know where you are. It would be pointless to stay any longer. I'm sure my absence has been found and my return is expected. I don't know what's going to happen to me, but maybe they'll move me to a different post. Guardian angels are always in demand, you know, but then again they are invisible to human eyes and silent to human ears. But I would be able to see and hear you, and that's something, right? I love you.  
  
Until we meet again, Yume  
  
James's earlier smiled dropped off his face as if an anvil was attached to it. Yume was the girl sitting at the fountain? He was the lucky guy? It was too much. He couldn't believe it. Why hadn't he just looked at her once?  
  
A tear rolled lazily down his cheek and onto the note. Much to his surprise it vanished in his hands. James sat still for a while, trying to sort his thoughts, and then got up and ambled to the nearest store. He found the conditioner and paid for it, ignoring the strange look the cashier gave him. He was trying not to cry, but failing miserably. Sometimes he thought of himself as too emotional, but he knew that in a time like this anyone might have cried this way. On the other hand, he severely doubted anyone else had ever been put in his situation.  
  
James only half remembered the events of the rest of the night. Somehow he'd met up with Meowth. No amount of the cat's prodding would get a word out of him. Most of the way back to camp was silent, and Meowth walked, as per Jessie's orders. Once they were back, and Jessie was content with her hair products in order, she too joined Meowth in trying to glean information out of James. Still he was quiet, and they all went to bed early after eating the first real food they'd had in months.  
  
No one fell asleep for a long time, and the tension was almost unbearable. Usually when James couldn't sleep he would try to make conversation with one or more of his partners and be told to shut his mouth. Jessie would toss and turn until someone became annoyed, and then she would either fight with them or talk, if she was in a good mood. Meowth had a habit of wandering off late at night to try to find a pokemon to speak with, since humans were obviously boring.  
  
Now all three of them didn't move. Most of the time Jessie and James's sleeping bags were very close, and there were a good amount of instances where Meowth curled up between them or on top of someone (if it was cold), but tonight everyone was spaced apart. James stared absently at the sky, stars, and moon, while Jessie and Meowth closed their eyes and pretended to sleep, even though their minds were racing. Both were wondering what was going on with James, although it was more for the sake of themselves than him. When would he be back to normal? Would the boss notice? Could they get fired for it? All were thankful when, one by one, they dropped off into slumber.  
  
~  
  
*  
  
~  
  
James was awakened, rather rudely, by Jessie. The sun was already high in the sky, and he wondered how long he'd slept. It didn't matter to him anyway. It wasn't like today was going to be something special.  
  
Unable to get out of his dark mood which had settled on him like frost after a particularly cold night, he shuffled out of bed and mechanically put on his uniform. Both Jessie and Meowth probably expected him to cook breakfast, but he wasn't up to it. He knew he was being unfair, it wasn't his partner's fault he asked for his future, or lost Yume, but he clung to the idea that he had a right to act this way.  
  
Luckily for him, Jessie thought she saw Ash and his friends coming up the road near where their camp was, so he really wasn't expected to make any food. They didn't have a plan, but Jessie didn't care. She'd already decided they would have a pokemon battle. Maybe some twist of fate would let them win and make off with the twerp's rat.  
  
"Alright," she said, "They're about ten minutes down the road, walking distance." She was being quite analytical about this. "There's another person with them, so watch out. We don't know what she has."  
  
Wasn't there always another person with them? James thought. He grabbed his pokeballs, but wasn't really planning on using them. He already knew what was going to happen, what happened every time.  
  
Jessie was already stationed in the bushes, holding her little Team Rocket binoculars, cackling evilly all the while. James resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't know why, but everything seemed so monotonous to him all of a sudden. On a normal day he would be sitting right next to her, making a bad joke or fighting for a look through the lenses.  
  
Meowth came into the clearing and sat down. "They're almost heeya," he said, to which Jessie rose and faced James.  
  
"Alright," she said threateningly, "You had better participate this time."  
  
"Sure, Jess," he said.  
  
Soon snatches of a verbal fight between Misty and Ash could be heard, but it wasn't any different from the hundreds of others James had heard. Four shadows fell across the road. That was usually their cue to leap out and start the motto. Jessie did, anyway. James just trailed after her.  
  
"Prepare for trouble!" cried Jessie enthusiastically.  
  
James never got to say his line. He was too busy staring at the girl with the twerps. She was beautiful, to say the least, with long, shiny black hair gathered into covered buns on top of her head, and the excess running down on either side. Two locks of hair framed her pale face. Golden eyes accentuated milky skin. She wore a simple white sleeveless sundress and high heels. Standing next to Brock, she was just a little taller than him. High cheekbones, curved lips, and arched eyebrows combined with her perfect body to create a stunning picture of an absolutely gorgeous woman.  
  
Brock, of course, was acutely aware of all this, and didn't even try to be discreet at he stared at her from behind. Even Ash was making an exaggerated show of using his pokemon to beat Team Rocket. Misty just looked peeved as Togepi trilled in her arms, oblivious to everything.  
  
The girl made eye contact with James. At first she looked shocked, ogling at him as if he had somehow come back from the dead. Then, slowly, her features dissolved into relief and then joy as she flashed him a pearly smile.  
  
He knew who she was as soon as he looked at her. It was true she looked different, but he didn't care. It was her. She was here. He finally found Yume.  
  
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t.o.b.e.c.o.n.t.i.n.u.e.d 


	4. c.h.a.p.t.e.r IV

S.t.a.r.d.u.s.t part IV  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the stuff I make up.  
  
Summary: I'm sure if you've gotten this far, you must be somewhat aware of the storyline.  
  
Author's Notes: Once again, thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, special mention going out to both AC_Ishida and Mystique Meowth. They've emailed me very supporting compliments, which (to me, anyway) are fundamental to being an enthusiastic writer. Thanks!  
  
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James's happiness toward finding Yume was short lived. No sooner had Ash seen a break in their motto, he sent out pikachu and ordered it to blast the three into the horizon. The rodent complied, and soon James and his partners felt the ever familiar electricity jolting through them, and the ground disappear beneath their feet as they soared ever higher into the sky.  
  
Jessie half heartedly noticed James screamed a lot louder and longer than usual. Meowth complained about their imminent landing, and grumbled at Jessie for doing such a bad job of putting everything together. James's eyes remained on the four figures growing ever smaller and further away.  
  
He knew what he had to do, and hopefully he could make it look like an accident. Jessie's gloved hand was holding tightly onto his own, so they could stay together this time when they landed. How could he find some way to break free without his partner getting suspicious? Their arch in the air was reaching a high point. His time was running out.  
  
Jessie felt James's hand suddenly wrench out of her own. The sheer force of it was so great that when she turned around enough to get a glimpse of him, he was already well on a different course.  
  
"James!" she cried over the rushing air. What was he doing?  
  
"I'm sorry!" he shouted back to her, but she could no longer see him. "I promise I'll be back later!" Fainter, now. "You don't have to wait up!"  
  
Jessie was still reaching for her partner and friend when her form grew smaller and finally vanished from his eyes. He felt guilty, that much was the truth, and he wished there were some other way he could have done things. His landing was hard, but not enough to distinguish it from all the others he'd felt. James got to his feet and looked around, wondering where he was. His surroundings were a thick forest which he had never been in (or at least he thought he had never been in, it was hard to tell these days). The tree trunks were wide and close together, and their leaves almost completely covered the space above him, save for a few rays of light which escaped and gave a thin beam down to the earth where they landed in small spots.  
  
He lifted one boot up and realized the ground below him was muddy. His head snapped back to survey the damage this could have done to his uniform. Much to his chagrin, the originally clean white shirt and pants were now dirty and no matter how hard he tried, he just could not get all of it off. So, he was dirty.  
  
A strange bird called somewhere deep in the forest, and the lonely cry echoed across the trees. James looked up, and then around. The thought of his location came back to him: where was he? What was the way out? He didn't know which way was which. So, he was dirty and lost. But Yume was somewhere out there.  
  
He began walking towards where he thought the trees looked the thinnest, but he soon found that the trees weren't thin anywhere. He wandered around until his legs hurt, and still seemed like there was no end to the ocean of trunks and leaves. Finally he looked down and saw an indent in the mud where he had originally landed. Collapsing against the nearest tree, he drew his knees up to his chest and put his head on his knees, trying not to lose his hopes, which were fading fast.  
  
He reasoned with himself. Yume was here. She was here, and she recognized him. But a voice tugged on the back of his mind. How could she be here? it said, how could she be here if she's not in your future?  
  
The thought made his blood run cold. It was true. Yume was nowhere in his future. That would mean the girl he just saw wasn't really her. Hot tears began running tracks down his cheeks. Yume wasn't here. Yume wasn't here. Yume wasn't here. Those words chanted like a sutra through James's mind over and over.  
  
After a time he absorbed himself in his miserable thoughts and lost track of time. He realized he must have fallen asleep, because the woods were much darker and cooler when he came back into reality. "Great…" he muttered, and was about to rise to his feet when he heard footsteps coming toward him in the forest. He let his head fall back down on his knees. Whoever they were, he didn't want to talk to them or anyone at the moment.  
  
The sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs grew louder, and James could tell that whoever this was, they didn't want to get dirty. Their steps were light, dainty, and carefully placed. Finally the person was in front of him, he could tell by the shadow cast over the spot where he was sitting. "What," he muttered bitterly, not particularly caring who he offended.  
  
There was a rustling sound and James could tell they had bent down to stare at eye level, probably because he was so reluctant to look up. A voice cut through the air.  
  
"Please don't say you've given up on me," it said, brimming with sadness. He knew that voice. His head lifted just a little, and was greeted with the sight of a bleach white sundress. Startled, he glanced up and found himself staring into two orbs of molten gold. Yume.  
  
She reached out a hand, long slender fingers reaching towards him, and he took it. With surprising strength, she hauled him to his feet. "I've searched this whole forest for you," she said simply, as if stating the time or the date.  
  
"H-how-" James stuttered, still to disoriented by her sudden appearance to form coherent sentences.  
  
She gave him a mischievous smile. "I bet you're wondering how I got here," she said slyly, and James nodded dumbly.  
  
Yume looked proud. "Did you get my note by at the fountain?" she asked.  
  
James stepped closer. "Yes," he said, "I didn't mean to leave you there. I passed by that place several times, but if I had looked I know I could have seen you. I'm sorry, Yume! I didn't mean to just walk by like that, but…"  
  
She put her hands on his shoulders reassuringly. "Don't worry about it," she said. "We're together now, aren't we? That's enough."  
  
James smiled for a brief moment, and then sighed. "But how long will that last?" And then, as an afterthought, "Why do you look so different? How were you able to come back? How long are you staying? Why wasn't this in my future?" etc. Yume rolled her eyes, but was thankful this was the same person. She would have been utterly crushed if he turned out to be a different type of person on Earth than he had been in Heaven. But, he wasn't. He was the same old James, the one she loved, and that was the one constant thing she wished for.  
  
"Allow me to explain," she said dramatically. Next she began to pace. "Exactly where should I begin…?" she questioned aloud.  
  
"How about when you got back to Heaven after coming to Earth?" suggested James.  
  
"Alright. I'll start there." She cleared her throat.  
  
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Remember what I said in my note, about how my return would be expected? It was. They were waiting for me, all of them. The Higher Beings, the ones who were, in essence, Fate. I was afraid. They were all dressed in black, and I couldn't see their faces. Each of them was lined up side to side when I appeared. After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, one stepped forward, and spoke. His voice was so emotionless and cold it seemed to shudder right through me.  
  
"You have departed from your duty and gone down to Earth," he hissed. I was so terrified I couldn't reply. He kept talking. "That is a violation which cannot be ignored."  
  
He paused so I could put a word in. There was no use in explaining myself, for they all knew what I had done and my reasons. They were Fate. "I'm eternally sorry," I said, getting down on one knee. "It was irrational behavior on my behalf."  
  
His head bent down to stare at me. I thought I could almost see his eyes peering through the darkness. They looked like two cold diamonds. What was going on in his mind was beyond me. Probably beyond everyone and everything else in the universe, as well. We stayed like that while he deliberated.  
  
Once again, his empty voice sounded through me. "There are ones who can repress their feelings of loneliness." He turned and gazed at a star cluster. "Then, there are ones who can't." He faced me. "After one has felt love, there is no way they can ever go back willingly to a desolate life, and wander through their-" He turned to me, "-endless, in your case, days lacking such an emotion."  
  
I nodded, half in agreement and half just trying to appease him. I knew what things like him were capable of.  
  
He continued. "Before this incident, your records have been clean, and your duty fulfilled. You have been here, and done what you were created to do. I understand that you have never before left your station. That is commendable."  
  
I looked up at him, wary. It was so hard to tell what he was planning, because his facial features weren't visible. It's true, though. You never know, do you? You never know. It is impossible to try to guess what Fate will hand you next.  
  
"That is why, along with the reprieve you have been granted, you will be permitted to go back to Earth. For a time."  
  
My eyes widened. I couldn't speak, let alone thank him. All I could manage was gasping out bits and pieces of what I needed to say. He seemed to understand.  
  
"I am Fate," he said. "I know the future, past, and present. But I am not heartless. You have served your purpose well. Therefore, you shall be rewarded through my allowance of your return to Earth. You will come back to this place, but as far as I can see, there will be no charges for you to escort in the time you will be on Earth."  
  
A thought occurred to me, but I was too afraid to say it. However, he seemed to read my mind.  
  
"This is unnatural. Your duty is your duty, and do not expect another absence to be granted." He glided back a few feet and raised his robed hands. A light came over me and I felt warm. I could feel my body stretch and grow. And then I felt something different. A strange, thudding sensation deep in my chest. I was a little frightened, but I remembered I had heard the same sound in you when we hugged last time. It was a heartbeat. I'm a mortal. I'm alive.  
  
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Yume reached up and unceremoniously wiped away tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes. James took her hand. "They are giving you a vacation?" he said softly, amazed.  
  
"Of sorts." She smiled warmly.  
  
James had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. "How long can you stay here?" he asked, still clutching her hand.  
  
"One lifetime," said Yume.  
  
"One…?"  
  
"Your lifetime."  
  
James stood, struck by her words. Then, slowly and deliberately, Yume leaned forward and kissed him. They stayed that way for a while, oblivious to the world darkening around them, bathed in starlight.  
  
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James and Yume were heading back. It was late. The two walked close, holding hands, both smiling and staring deep into the other's eyes while they talked. Trees lines either side of the road, and the moon was full. A light breeze blew over the whole area, making Yume's hair sway slightly. Everything seemed perfect. Even though James didn't want to jinx any of it, a dark thought wormed its way into his head. What about his future?  
  
"Yume, what about my wish?" he asked. "Do you remember how I asked to see what would happen for the rest of my life? Why wasn't this in it?" He looked down. "Is this going to end?"  
  
She considered him for a moment, and then laughed. "Stupid," she chided, "Haven't you listened to a word I said?"  
  
"Yes, but…"  
  
"I showed you your natural future."  
  
James's mind jolted. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Future and fate doesn't take unnatural events into consideration," she said. "There is a good chance that when you saw your future, the tree incident was left out."  
  
His mind played the vision over again. She was right. At the very beginning, he had landed next to Jessie. He hadn't thought anything of it. She kept talking.  
  
"And, like the Higher being said, my coming is also unnatural. That's why you saw neither in your vision."  
  
"So… the future you showed me…?" he mumbled, having a hard time getting coherent words past the emotions that were flooding over him.  
  
"Null and void."  
  
Something like a mix of relief and joy and love exploded inside of James, so strong his legs very nearly gave out. He was laughing and crying at the same time. Crystal tears sprang to Yume's eyes, and dripped down her cheeks. She ran up and hugged him, and he was hugging her back, joy spilling from sorrow.  
  
James raised his eyes toward the sky once more, taking in the vast expanse of Heaven. The stars twinkled and glittered, shining as bright as his future. 


End file.
